Seed-potato cutter.



PATENTED OUT. 24:, 1905.

B. H. PUGH.

SEED POTATO CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAE.29,1904.

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No. 802,472. PATENTED OCT. 24:, 1905. B. H. PUGH.

SEED POTATO CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.29, 1904.

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BURTON I-I. PUGH, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

SEED-POTATO our-res.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed March 29, 1904. Serial No. 200,592.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BURTON HOMER PUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Seed- Potato Cutter, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a device intended to cut seedpotatoes in a perfect and expeditious way to the end that they be of the proper size and form for planting. I accomplish this by means of two sets of knives, one knife working with a reciprocating motion and setknives operated upon by a plunger to perfect the cut. The set-knife is used for quartering the portion of the potato sliced off by the reciprocating knife. I attain these ends by means of the mechanism hereinafter described, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention, practically showing all the parts thereof. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken through the line 1 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top view of the reciprocatory knife-block and knife. Figs. 4c and 5 are respectively atop view of the quartering-knives and a side view of the same with a portion removed, illustrating the method by which the knives are attached or molded fast in the metal cup.

Similar letters of reference are used throughout the several drawings to indicate like parts.

The standard of my machine is preferably composed of a block of wood I), with suitable legs a a attached thereto, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. At a point near one end of the said base 5 is the circular opening X, in which is set the quartering-knives cl 0, rigidly held in the metal cup 0. I do not wish to confine myself to the setting of the quartering-knives d e in a metal cup. as they may be placed or lixed into the base 6, which also may be of wood or metal.

On the upper side of the base 5 is placed the reciprocating knife-holderP, it being held in place and guided by the rods a n, which are in turn firmly held in place by the standards 0', to which the said rods n are rigidly attached. Upon the sides of the reciprocat ing block P are the guides 3/ 3 preferably made of metal. At the outer and rear end of the reciprocating knife-holding block P is the handle S, by which means the block P may be reciprocated by hand. The handle S is properly attached to the block P at the point A by means of a screw or screws or other proper device. At 9 (see Flg. 1) is an ilClJLlSting-stop by means of which a longer or a shorter cut of the said reciprocating block P may be obtained, the object of this device being to enable the reciprocating knife to make a longer or shorter movement. On the inner end of the said reciprocating block P is the knife 0, attached to the said block by means of the screws B or other suitable device. The inner end of the block P is cut out to conform with the shape of the average potato, as shown in Fig. 3. The said knife O is placed upon the upper side of the inner end of said block P and over the out w, the thickness of said block exclusive of the thickness of the knife O controlling the thickness of the slice of potato to be cut. Properly attached to the base I) is the potato-receiver guide on, with its opening M. Projecting above the face of the guide m is an oval ring, which forms the opening into which the said potato is placed to be sliced. The rod u is attached at the point U to the reciprocating block P, as shown, said attachment allowing of a slight rotary movementof the outer end of said rod a in the projecting lug U. The inner end of said rod is attached to the dog-lever K, said dog-lever being held in place by the standards vlt'of the guide-box m, as shown in Fig. 2. The inner end of the dog-lever K is properly attached to the plunger by the connecting-link J, as shown in Fig. 2. The plunger 0 is held in place and guided in its operation by the frame it, which operates vertically on the standards 11 2', said standards being properly attached to the base Z). The plunger is transversely slotted that it may pass over and down to the lower edges of the quartering-lmives (Z c, as shown at g g, Fig. 2.

On the upper face of the inner end of the base I) is attached the automatically-adjustable devicef. To secure the automatic action of the stop f, formed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the said stop has a slot formed in its face lengthwise, through which two screws are so set as to allow of a limited free movement on the line of the slot, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The automatic action of the said stop f is secured by means of the spring 7;, which is attached to the top of the inner screw and the outer end of the said stop, which assures its instant return to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 when for any reason it has been forced backward.

The potato-receptacle M may be extended IIO vertically indefinitely, so that several potatoes may be put in the said receptacle and be sliced. Said extension of the receptacle M would only obtain when a more rapid action would be desirable, as in case of a direct attachment to steam, gasolene, or otherwise operated mechanism. In such case it would be an automatic feeding device depending on the Weight of the potatoes to insure proper slicing.

In operating my machine the potato is placed in the receiving device M, it beingheld in place or pressed down to its place by its own weight. The reciprocating knife-holding block P being pulled back against the stop 9, the potato drops upon the base Z). The reciprocating knife-holding block P is then forced forward, cutting off a slice of the potato, as indicated by the thickness of the block, the said potato being forced forward by the shoulder V of the said reciprocating block P into its position over the quarteringknives (Z c, the backward motion of the recip rocating knife-holding block P, through the connection of the dog-lever U 2:, operating upon the extension of the said dog-lever K and working the inner end of the said lever K, through the link J, forcing down the plunger g, thereby forcing the sliced potato through the quartering-knives (Z (2, and thus completing the operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A potatocutter comprising in combination a base havinglegs and provided with an opening, a receptacle on the base, a knifeblock mounted to reciprocate beneath the receptacle, and provided with a handle, a knife carried by the block, standards projecting upward from the base, a reciprocating frame guided by said standards and carrying a slotted plunger, a series of knives secured across the opening in the base beneath the plunger, and means for reciprocating the plunger, comprising a dog-lever pivoted to the base at one end, having link connection with the guide-frame, and a connecting-rod connecting the other end of the dog-lever to the knife-block.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

B. H. PUeH.

lVitnesses:

O. B. RAMSEY, J. G. SWAYZE. 

